May as well roll two weeks of posts into one. Last Saturdays ride on the 23rd turned out to be a dead loss Garmin wise as it turned a 20 odd mile ride into a 6 mile ride and this was following a Course to try out the routing software. I’d even considered sunspots affecting the Global Positioning Satellites after listening to a Radio 4 program.
This was after I’d updated the software to 2.20 to fix the previous problem.
Monday: 50 mile ride around the Wirral coast. Started out with the ride showing zero MPH despite putting a new battery in the cadence sensor. Cadence sensor read even if it had been turned off on the Edge 800. Removing the battery from the cadence sensor was the only way to get things back to normal but looks like another bug in the software. Just like old 705 days this, fix one problem and cause another one.
Other than that, things went well, a bit of a headwind going up the Wirral but cruised down the front at Seacombe hitting 27 mph at times.
Month: April 2011
Weekending 17 Apr 2011
Monday: Work
Tuesday: Work
Wednesday: Work, got knocked back on the redundancy package.
Thursday: Set about planning the Spring 50 route on RidewithGPS.com after finding the CTC track had an error in it because it was a ride turned into a Course. This was an excuse to go to a bike shop and the try the Edge 800 new settings out. Things went really well with turn directions coming up when they should. Still not convinced about Coursepoints, Garmin seem to place them on the actual turn which is too late. Must be down to the routable maps.
Friday: Tackle a few jobs that I’ve been putting off, like the shower drain and screen.
Pretty much sorted for Sunday the plan being to ride out, do the 50 and ride home. Not planning to do anything daft on Saturday just a local ride probably involving a Cafe stop.
Starting to look at the longer term and this doesn’t involve a Saga plan with a free Parker pen (£1.50) from a Parky advert. I may have hit 50 + but Funeral plans and easyline at the gym are a bit much.
Saturday: Did a Wirral loop of 43 miles picking up some plumbing fitting from Screwfix and calling in at Vita just before Daves Vita ride called back to the shop.
The shop echoing with Garmin bleeps from riders not pressing stop.
Looking at some of the bikes, your going to need a good set of aero wheels just to hang on the back. Eat Phils sandwiches much to his amusement as not having done the shop ride.
Sunday: Rode out to the start of the CTC Spring 50 calling in at the Eureka for gels and a drink. Ended up doing 21 miles to the start with only 5 minutes in hand for my signing on time.
It had turned out to be a really nice day with a record entry of nearly 170 riders.
I started in the last group with Team Wallace and Grommit, had a go up the hill but got passed on the Straight Mile by Chris with the others in tow. Allan said to leave him to it. Twice we had to call him back after he had missed a turn. It did speed things up though.
http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/79951773
Route wise everything was going great until the stop at Overton.
Things started to go wrong on the return leg, going offcourse had the Garmin trying to recalculate the Route and wanting me to do a U-turn. This didn’t happen once but repeatedly for a about 5 miles. So it looks as if I’m going to revisit the options again. Completed the 50 mile Course but for some reason the Edge had me doing 5000 miles not 50. and whereas I had just completed my first 1,000 miles on the Edge 800 now it is showing 6000 miles.
Back to Janet’s ride, it hasn’t changed over the years but the numbers have. Nearly 170 on this one and they all needed catering for at the stop. Had a bit of time to enjoy some of the views this year and it’s amazing what you miss. A ride like this takes a lot of organising and it means the organising club doesn’t get to ride their event. In contrast to a sportife/charity ride where your entry is paying for the marshalls/timing/charity!!!!!!??/ for what is basically the same event.
I lament the loss of Stan’s Audax and Sportif rides due to a certain Liverpool club turning it into a club ride with only one entering. Other clubs are just as guilty as I’ve seen the Sunlight do it too. Stunning day , classic ride with great views, exellent CTC organisation, not a race but you could have fooled me.
Blew up on the ride home as I didn’t have anything to eat at the Eureka, thank God I had a gel I’d purchased earlier in the back pocket.
93 miles not the 5000 odd Garmin have me doing.
Weekending 10 Apr 2011
Monday: Work
Tuesday: Work, but left my keys in the locker so had a 60 mile round trip to get them back.
Wednesday: First day off but lost the will to ride, went out in winter bibtights as that is what it looked like but found it warmer than it looked. Headed out to the Eureka for a BLT toastie that Keith Boardman had trouble talking over. Trying to recover from last weeks efforts with wintergreen on some of the leg muscles.
Bumped into Ray who is trying to get 500 miles in this week, he’s 75, he’s already got 300 in and it’s only Wednesday .
The Eureka Challenge is up on the board which is a timed run up the Steps. Once you’ve ridden them you’ll know where they are. A bit like the Shelf. Headed out to Vita which was shut when I got there, I thought they were out on a ride. If I was having a bad day these guys where having it a lot worse.
The ride theory was a bit misplaced as they had locked themselves out of the shop going for a bite to eat. Everything was in the locked shop, the landlord gave them the wrong keys etc etc. I picked them up as I was drinking tea a few doors up. Kicking the door in was a non starter, then a stroke of luck. A chance remark to a passing contractor had the lock drilled out in 15 minutes and a new lock fitted in about another 20.
My bike slid down the wall again picking up another coat of Vita green emulsion. Looks worse than it was but the Helicopter film is definitely going on. A new Conti GP4000 was purchased as the Conti Attack is showing it’s 2 year age with cuts to the carcass and the bead delaminating.
The Mavic spoke key I ordered from the Bike Factory a while back proved to be the wrong one after all the palava of getting it. Got a card off the Postie saying I need to pick up the carbon fibre stem. Fitted the new tyre and called it a day.
Had planned a spin for Thursday but it looks like a trip to the postie and BF in Chester are in order.
Dave’s efforts on the Vita ride on last Saturday went down well. I did think it would be totally bonkers, this weeks ride is supposed to be a bit slower. 12 turned up which is a good number for virtually word of mouth, Shaun should get some credit for this.
Home to protect the legs.
Thursday: Headed down to the post office to pick up the carbon stem only to find it was a carbon wrap as I hadn’t read the description properly. A trip to the Bike Factory took longer than it should for a Mavic spoke key.
Booked a spinning class in West Kirby.
Friday: Had planned to get out early but spent about 3 hours trying to get the Dummies Guide page sorted on what was one of the best days of the year so far.
I’ve had a comment from RidewithGPS.com so needed to sort the Routing out.
The Eureka beckoned so it was plan a Course with RidewithGPS.com and see how it performed in action and when tested by going off Course.
As it turned out it stuck the Coursepoints on the turns and alerted you if you went off Course. The only fly in the ointment is the CoursePoint is directly on the junction which has been a problem from day 1.
Had a BLT toastie at the Eureka and then headed back home via Vita. The Vita ride on a Saturday may be a none starter again as I have to pick a shock absorber first thing as VW parts shut at midday.
Saw the Youtube Boris Bikes spinning class yesterday, brilliant. Deserves to go viral.
Frank Kinlan's Blog 
